This invention relates to tamper indicating packages, and more particularly to an external tampering indicator on the seal member of a package.
The term "tamper" as used herein is intended to refer to the opening of a closed or sealed package before it has been purchased. The term "open" as used herein is intended to refer to a partial or full opening of a package.
In certain instances articles purchased by consumers in closed or otherwise sealed containers are tampered with beforehand by individuals having motives that range from petty vandalism to harmful maliciousness. The problem of tampering has led to enactment of a Federal law which makes it a felony to tamper with merchandise with the intent to harm people.
Many packages which appear to be closed or sealed can be opened and closed without detection. For example, packages that have no seals or bonds can be easily opened and closed without a visible indication of such opening. Furthermore, the contents of such packages might be altered in a manner which is not obvious or detectable by the purchaser. The average purchaser is accustomed to believe in the integrity of a closed or sealed package and can thus be victimized by acts of tampering.
Although tampering is an aberrant practice that affects a relatively small percentage of purchased articles, it has become necessary to deal with this problem at the manufacturing level in order to maintain consumer confidence in the integrity of a closed or sealed package.
Various known means of providing a package with tamper resistant characteristics include shrink bands and breakable caps. The application of outer shrink bands or tape requires a substantial capital investment and ongoing material costs. Breakable caps are more feasible on containers with relatively small-mouth openings rather than those with wide-mouth openings. However, specially designed molds and tools for the manufacture of breakable caps add significantly to the cost of the goods packaged in containers with breakable caps.
Some packages having an opening of fixed size include inner seals that, for example, extend across the mouth of a jar, underneath a cover. When the cover is removed, the seal must be broken to obtain access to the package contents. Unfortunately, seals can also be tampered with and packages having such seals often do not provide external evidence that the package cover has been removed.
When an act of tampering is detectable because an article shows signs of tampering, the consumer's attention will be signaled. The consumer then has the option of not purchasing the article. In addition, a retailer can be put on notice that an article has been tampered with and remove such article from his sellable stock.
In addition to the provision of tamper-resistant features in packages which alert a consumer to possible wrongdoing, there is ongoing publicity that encourages consumers to check the integrity of packages before purchasing them. As a result, future tampering is likely to be discouraged if it is apparent that such tampering can be detected.
Other alternative packaging arrangements which have been developed to provide an indication of whether tampering has occurred include a cover system as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,979, which displays a readout to indicate when a cover has been opened from its sealed position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,514 shows a tamper-indicating flap molded to the neck of a container. The flap is fractured from the neck after the cap is placed in an open condition.
Devices such as those shown in the foregoing patents require expensive and exotic manufacturing equipment which can substantially increase the cost of the goods that are sold in the packages.
It is thus desirable to provide a tamper indicating package which does not substantially increase the cost of the goods being sold in the package and which readily shows whether the package has been subjected to tampering.